In addition to the scene conventionally known as "the Annunciation" (Luke 1,26-38), three other texts in the infancy narrative qualify to be classed as such. This article proposes an understanding of 2,8-20; 2,22- 35; 2,41-52 as annunciation pericopes by highlighting the fact that other characters, namely, the shepherds, Simeon, and Jesus function as messengers communicating to Mary further information about her son. It identifies the messenger, the act of speaking, the message, and the reference to Jesus' mother in each of the four scenes. Luke's infancy narrative, so the argument runs, contains four annunciation scenes in which a progressive revelation about Jesus addressed to his mother takes place.

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two women. Elizabeth’s speech (1,42-45) culminates in a macarism
on behalf of Mary (1,45): kai. makari,a h` pisteu,sasa o[ti e;stai
telei,wsij toi/j lelalhme,noij auvth/| para. kuri,ou. The macarism
makes a retrospective reference to the angel’s announcement and
Mary’s compliance with the words of the Lord, expressing these as
ta. lelalhme,na auvth/| para. kuri,ou. The participle with the mor-
pheme lal- referring to the things said, the dative auvth/| standing
for the recipient of the words, and the genitive of agency para.
kuri,ou indicating the author of the words converge to make clear
that the Lord (through his messenger) has spoken to Mary, and so
the repeatedly stressed aspect of annunciation in 1,26-38 is corrob-
orated once again. Elizabeth knows that the Lord has spoken to
Mary and explicitly points to this action of speaking in her praising
Mary’s faith in the words of the Lord 11. The Lord is the one who
has spoken and Mary the one who must have heard and, as a con-
sequence, believed the words — Elizabeth’s words in 1,45 further
support the repeatedly-gained impression that annunciation is the
dominating thread in 1,26-38.
To summarize, in 1,26-38 the evangelist recounts the first annun-
ciation concerning the identity of the main hero of the gospel. The
annunciation is communicated by the angel sent from God, is ad-
dressed to the mother, and is crafted as a mosaic of christological
affirmations. With the chart below outlining the key components of
the above analysis, a concluding remark in this section might cir-
cumspectly add that the angel has not painted the full christological
profile. Other characters at further stages will apprise Mary of what
she does not yet know about the identity and mission of her son.
11
Elizabeth’s words kai. makari,a h` pisteu,sasa o[ti e;stai telei,wsij
toi/j lelalhme,noij auvth/| para. kuri,ou function as a narrative assessment
of Mary’s reaction expressed in the sentence ge,noito, moi kata. to. r`h/ma,
sou. Although the terminology of faith was not used in 1,26-38, it is in this
sort of language that Mary’s submission to the words of the angel is inter-
preted by her relative as an act of faith. Elizabeth’s words at the same time
signal the equation between the angel’s words and the Lord’s words. The nar-
rative logic has it that ta. lelalhme,na para. kuri,ou in 1,45 is a perfect match
to to. r`h/ma, sou in 1,38.